Leather and Lace
by ghostbones
Summary: Living in a golden cage, Lucy is ready to trade wealth and lace for love and leather. nalu & gajevy
1. Chapter 1

**Leather and Lace**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 _ **Disclaimer** : i don't own fairy tail_

Lucy was shocked by the company Levy kept to say the least. It's true that the two girls hadn't known each other for very long but in the few months they had known each other, Levy had quickly become the closest friend Lucy had ever had. At school, she had found that Levy was more studious than even she was yet easy going and approachable. Levy had been the one to approach her, having seen Lucy engrossed in a book that Levy was currently obsessed with. The rest was history after that.

So how could her sweet, kind Levy possibly hang out at such a wild, unsavory place?!

Hovering near the door in pastel pinks and whites looking for all the world like the princess that she was, Lucy wasn't so sure this was the fun and adventure she had been looking for. She blinked coffee toned doe eyes as she stared around the smokey little club bursting at the seems with all manner of hooligans and trouble makers. Nearly everyone present was swathed in leathers and clothes so tight she had no idea how they could move their limbs. Hair slicked back to shining perfection, puffed and teased to incredible sizes and volume. Couple danced to racy music, moving their bodies together in a way so that Lucy had to look away in embarrassment.

"T-these are your friends?" Lucy managed to squeak out, her mouth was suddenly dry from nerves.

Levy simply grinned as she maneuvered the blond by the hand through the crowd, searching for what she assumed to be her friends. The blond trained her eyes on Levy's perfect ocean blue curls as they bobbed with her gait. She felt so out of her element here and couldn't believe this is where Levy so desperately wanted to bring her. Did Levy really think these people would accept her amongst them? How had her friend even much these types?

By the time Levy had come to a halt, Lucy could feel a cold sweat breaking out over her forehead as her thoughts began to spin, wild theories bouncing around at light speed.

"Earth to Lucy!" Levy giggled playfully as she tugged affectionately on her hand. "These are my friends! You're gonna love them and I know they'll love you too!"

Before Lucy could so much as breathe a word of protest Levy was gently pushing her up to the group of kids that looked like they could eat her alive. As soon a boy with wild pink hair caught sight of Levy there was a chorus of rowdy greetings. The noise was so warm and welcoming despite its volume that Lucy couldn't help but to relax a bit. It was obvious they adored Levy, plain in their unguarded smiles.

Even so they still looked rough around the edges, tough as nails.

The pink haired boy with a devilishly boyish grin snatched the small girl from Lucy's side and lifted her in th air, twirling around and around. Lucy couldn't help the smile that was pulling at her lips or the laugh that was already bubbling from her throat.

"Natsu!" The small girl squealed with a bright grin on her face, "Put me down, put me down!"

"What's up, Squirt?" The boy with the boyish face laughed as he placed Levy safely back on her feet.

Lucy could hardly tear her eyes from his sunshine smile, trapped in its radiance. She wasn't sure why, but she felt like the air had left her lungs and set her heart stuttering an offbeat rhythm. He was much like the others with the loose fitting leather jacket over a white shirt that stretched like a second skin over a well muscled torso. The white scarf draped around his neck was a little strange though, especially since it was so warm in the closed space.

Something about him was so open and honest, he was nothing like any of the boys she had been introduced to by her father, the boys that were deemed 'appropriate' suitors. Her train of thought was interrupted though as a pair of glittering eyes found hers. It was electric as their gazes connected and His smiled widened if that was even possible.

"Ah! You're Levy's friend I'm guessin'?" He said brightly as he shoved his hands in the pockets of his jacket.

"Yep! This is Lucy, the one I've told you about!" Levy seemed to swell with pride when introducing her friend. It made Lucy smile despite her nerves.

"N-Nice to meet you all." The blond found herself murmuring shyly.

All eyes were on her suddenly and Lucy wanted to turn tail and run from the establishment and never look back. What if they didn't like her? Maybe she was too square for kids this edgy. But then an arm was slung around her shoulder and she was pulled tight against a warm, hard body. A gasp left her and suddenly she was on fire.

"Nice to meetcha, Luigi! You'll fit right in." The boy smiled down at her as the rest of the group burst into a peel of warm laughter.

Removing the busty blond from his casual embrace, the pink haired boy sauntered the few steps to the table and plopped down causing a rattling of mugs and silverware.

"The names Natsu Dragneel! And this is most of the gang but there are a few people out and about tonight." He grinned from ear to ear, eyes crinkling slightly at the corners.

"I'm Erza, I hope we will be seeing more of you." The red-headed bombshell at the table said with a confident smirk on her lips. Lucy thought she was drop dead gorgeous with her shining red hair and her cherry lips, swathed in black and metals.

Next, a relaxed looking boy with dark hair and dark eyes nodded, a cigarette perched between two finger, "I'm Gray," he said in a silky voice. "Welcome to the group."

Almost immediately after Gray spoke, a girl with such striking feminine charm pressed in closer to Gray. Wrapped around one of his arms she had a fierce and possessive look on her face as she sized Lucy up. "Juvia senses a new love rival! Juvia will not lose!"

Lucy wasn't really sure how to take that comment as she had just met Gray but no one seemed to concerned about it.

"And that's Gajeel back there, big lug nut that he is-" Natsu started to say but finished with an indignant yelp of pain as an empty mug smacked him rather hard in the back of the head. Natsu swiveled around brandishing his fists, "You tryin' to start a fight you piece of rusted scrap metal?!"

A dark figure stood up from behind Gray, his blood red eyes nearly glowing in the dim light. Lucy stiffened as she took him in, huge and feral. She wasn't sure how she has managed to miss his hulking form. All of that unruly jet black hair that fell over leather wrapped shoulders and metal studs that glinted on his face in the light. Lucy wanted to flinch but somehow managed to hold back the urge.

"Keep talkin' smack Salamander and you'll be eating dirt!" Gajeel growled in annoyance shaking a fist right back at Natsu.

"I'd like to see you try! I'll take you right now and show you-"

Ezra slammed a fist on the table, her eyes dark as murder. "Both of you. _Shut. Up._ This is not the sort of impression we want Lucy to have."

Honestly, at that moment Lucy would rather be trapped in a room with to two boys rather than the red-head at that moment.

Eager to ease the tension between the small group, the blond stepped forward, the motion only giving away a fraction of the timidity she was feeling. "Don't worry about it, Erza. Especially not on my behalf. Besides, boys will be boys right?"

The red head sat back in her seat and a thoughtful look came over her dark eyes, finger tapping her lip. "I suppose you are right, Lucy. They are such good friends after all, boys tend to squabble over such things."

The blond laughed and shrugged, simply glad that the storm had calmed. Gajeel took the opportunity to stalk off to the bar, clearly done with the loud mouthed annoyance that was Natsu. As intimidating as he was, Lucy couldn't help but feel a little amused at the skinship they seemed to share despite appearances.

"Having fun, Luigi?" Natsu asked, nudging her in the side with an elbow.

"Lucy! My name is Lucy!" She waved her arms in protest briefly before crossing her arms over her ample chest in a huff. Natsu laughed and she wasn't quite sure why her heart fluttered.

"Alright, alright! Lucy it is, then. Are you liking it here at Fairy Tail?"

"Fairy Tail?" she echoed. Her pout was suddenly gone as she looked up at him curiously.

"Yup. It's the name of this joint. I swear it's the best spot this side of the tracks." There was such a palpable sense pride in his tone that she couldn't help but to be fascinated. The bar didn't seem spectacular to her. It looked worn and rough, lived in like it had been there for a very long time. Other than that it was hard to really make out any specific details due to the dim light and the smoke, but she was sure there must have been some merit to the place if Natsu was so passionate about it.

"I've never been anywhere like this before." At least she could say that much with some certainty. She'd never been anywhere that was even remotely like Fairy Tail. Honestly, she had rarely gone to any place that her father hadn't taken her to, or at least 'approved' of. She was used to venues that were pristine and glittering with wealth; places that overflowed with the types of people that either looked at her with hungry eyes or down their noses with contempt.

The boy grinned down at her, his canines were strangely prominent as he nudged her with his elbow again in a. "You should come by again! You'll fit right in!"

Lucy had no idea why he kept saying that. She was like a lamb in a pit of lions. The polar opposite of him. Despite that feeling, she shrugged and found herself grinning back up at him.

"AH!" He suddenly snapped to attention as the song shifted to a tune less sultry and more upbeat. "These sounds are _real_ good! Let's tear up the carpet, Luce!"

"W-wait, Natsu!" the girl managed to sputter. Her words fell on deaf ears; a warm hand was around her wrist, pulling her onto the crowded dance floor.

.

.

.

Across the room, Levy was dancing with her two childhood friends, Jet and Droy. She wasn't able to see them as much as she would like since the boys were often busy working day and night to afford their living expenses. It was nice to see their faces whenever she could. But after a few songs she felt content to take a seat at their usual table and watch from the sidelines. Hazel eyes quickly honed in on Lucy laughing and dancing with Natsu. It was a little risky bringing her friend here, but Levy knew Lucy had a heart as big as the sky. And if anyone could make the blond feel at ease it was Natsu.

The bluenette was so lost in thought that she barely noticed when the bench she was sitting on shifted slightly. But she did notice the mischievous "gihihi" that was the signature laugh of the one person that managed to set her on edge. Levy stiffened, her small body unconsciously reacting to unpleasant memories.

"What's so funny, Gajeel?" Levy asked tensely, not looking at him.

"Just wonderin' what the square is doin' here." His deep timber was attractive, but mostly the sound grated on her nerves.

Bristling at the statement, Levy whipped her head around and leveled him with a firm gaze, "I really don't think you have much of a right to place labels on anyone, Gajeel."

The man leaned back and held up both hands in a sign of surrender. "I wasn't tryin' to start a fight or nothin'.

"Weren't you though? She's my friend, don't talk about her like that."

Gajeel's eyes were bearing into her own and Levy felt her bravado from a few seconds before melt away. She never knew was was going on in his head and made a point not to be alone with him if she could help it.

"Look," he said with a hint of caution in his voice, "I'm just sayin' that you can't trust the types on the other side of the tracks. They're not like us."

Annoyance piqued again, Levy shook her wild curls vigorously, "Why do you even care? I can take care of myself."

She stared him right back then, unwavering as she waited for him to give some kind of smart reply. Rather than retorting, Gajeel simply stared back at her with blood red eyes she couldn't read. Something about the gaze made her feel vulnerable, naked.

Finally, he broke the gaze by closing his eyes in a strangely resigned gesture. The man ran thick fingered hands through long tousled hair before he stood to his full height to leave the table. Levy was surprised to see him retreat without saying a single word. She just couldn't wrap her head around his odd behavior. While sometimes she caught him looming near her he rarely went out of his way to speak to her. Yet suddenly he's concerned about who she's hanging out with?

Fortunately she couldn't dwell to much on her brief conversation with Gajeel because Lucy had slid into the seat next to her, coffee eyes glittering with excitement.

"Someone looks like they're enjoying themselves," Levy laughed when Lucy giggled and leaned against her heavily.

"Goodness! I don't think I've ever had so much fun, Levy. Ever!" The blond looked blissful and Levy was so glad she had managed to convince her to come to Fairy Tail. Lucy laid her cheek on Levy's shoulder and sighed happily. "Thanks for sharing this with me, Levy."

All of the irritation she felt from her earlier conversation with Gajeel had all but melted away. No matter what that big lug nut thinks bringing Lucy to Fairy tail could bring nothing but good.

.

.

.

 _a/n: I'm sure a few of you are aware that this is actually a fic I had already posted, but I decided to rename it and edit it quite a bit. The original was super bland and the two chapters were wayyyyyy too short. So I combined to two and cleaned them up! Hopefully you guys like it!_


	2. Chapter 2

_**disclaimer** : I don't own fairy tail_

Following her introduction to Fairy Tail, Lucy just couldn't seem to stay away. It was a wild hang out where kids from the other side of the tracks collected and she was certain her father would absolutely abhor the establishment. Yet Lucy found that despite her initial wariness she had never felt so... at home. None of the rowdy group made her feel small, and never made her feel like she had to put on that mask she was so accustomed to.

She felt like she was allowed to be herself. Not Lucy Heartfilia, just Lucy.

"You've been in such a good mood lately," Levy giggled and she lightly nudged Lucy with her hip. "Not to mention you practically beg me to take you to Fairy Tail every day. I didn't think you would fall in love with it so quickly."

Bumping the shorter girl right back, Lucy huffed in an undignified way. "Don't tease me, McGarden!" But she was falling into a fit of giggles anyways. "But it's true! I do love Fairy Tail and everyone in it."

The two were currently making their way to the hang out which had become a familiar journey for the two of them these past few weeks. Levy didn't bother to hide her bright smile as she hooked her arm with the blondes.

"It's wonderful that you enjoy your time there though. Fairy Tail is my family and knowing my best friend came to love them means the world to me." The small girls words were so heartfelt that Lucy felt her heart squeeze a little.

Fairy tail was already coming into view by now, it was a low key looking structure made of reclaimed barn wood. Vibrant multi-colored letters hung above the door with an abstract symbol of what Lucy assumed was a fairy. Mature trees lined the lane keeping it somewhat shrouded from view, making it noticeable only when you were right upon it.

As they approached the entrance, Lucy quickly gave Levy's hand a soft squeeze. "Thank you, Levy. For sharing so much with me."

The two exchanged grins before Lucy pulled open the heavy wooden door that lead into the cozy space. Unlike the deep, dim warmth it exuded at night, it was drenched in bright yellow sunlight during the day.

"Mira!" Lucy called, practically skipping up to the bar, her ponytail bouncing. "You always seem to be working! Don't you ever take a break!"

The barmaid lifted her head from cleaning glasses, eyes as blue as the a clear mornings sky twinkled with amusement at the younger girl. "It's hard to leave what you love, you know." Placing the glass gently on its shelf, Mire turned back to the blonde. "Did you want something to drink? It's rather hot out today."

Levy popped up next to Lucy, leaning on the scratched but highly polished wood of the bar. "Oh my gosh, yes! It's only spring but the days are already so hot!"

"I second that!" The blonde chimed in.

Mira beamed, "Coming right up!"

Lucy turned her back to the bar curious to see who was already there. For the most part the bar was a little quiet during the day time. Macao and Wakaba, two older patrons, were sitting at their usual table playing cards over drinks. But other than those two she wasn't familiar with the sparse few others that huddled in cozy corners, talking and laughing.

"It's pretty quiet today, isn't it?" Lucy commented sounding disappointed.

"Oh, was there someone in particular you wanted to see," Levy waggled her eyebrows suggestively.

"Of course not!" Was Lucy's indignant reply as Mira placed not two, but four glasses of lemonade before them.

Levy looked baffled at the surplus, "I know I said I was thirsty but this is a bit much, Mira."

"The other two aren't for you silly!" The pale haired barmaid giggled, "The boys are out back in the garage, I hoped you wouldn't mind bringing them a drink."

Lucy tilted her head to the side, "Garage?"

"Yep," Levy confirmed, picking up two of the glasses, "Fairy tail is a bit of everything. And a few of the boys like to fix up cars and bikes so they built a garage out back a few year ago so everyone would have the space."

The blond grabbed the remaining glasses and followed her friend out of the side door. She had always assumed it just lead to the alley way, but once outside the pathway was quite well taken care of with plant that fell overhead like green waterfalls. The space between two buildings quickly opened up to an expansive patch of land that looked over a valley that was breathtakingly gorgeous and green.

The sunsets must be amazing! Lucy thought.

"Wow! I had no idea all this was back here!"

The blue haired girl laughed, "well, we don't really advertise it except to those of us that are close. This place is a sanctuary to some of us."

Somehow the comment seemed deeper than it should have been, like there was a long story behind it. But Lucy felt it wasn't her place to question that just yet. Instead she let a secret smile play on the corners of her mouth. Levy had trusted her with something so precious and Lucy would cherish that for as long as she lived. They crossed a little bridge that was obviously hand crafted over a narrow ravine before they walked up to the huge wooden structure that must be the garage.

The structure was massive and it was obvious in ever small detail that so much love went into its creation. The whole thing was painted with a vibrant mural depicting all manner of beasts, magic and fantasy. On one side in sprawling bright yellow and red was "Fairy Tail". She could imagine the all the hardworking and effort and fun that went into the project. But as much as she enjoyed picking out the different images in the mural her attention was diverted when she saw bright pink hair pop up in the corner of her vision.

The huge metal doors of the place were pulled back to reveal three or four fast looking cars, each vastly different from the others. From sleek and dark to wild and frightening looking, she wondered if each car had a different mechanic and if so who were they. And as if the space in the car was insufficient, at least two other projects were pulled out onto the lush lawn, polished metal shining in the sun.

"Yo!" Came Natsu's enthusiastic voice as he leaned on the hood of a speedy looking thing that still looked unfinished. "Whatcha girls doing here so early in the day?"

Lucy found herself beaming at her new friend, his smile was infectious. "Mirajane asked us to bring you guys something to drink! It's wicked hot outside."

His eyes lit up, dark and glittering at the mention of refreshments. "Ohhh, any food?"

"Nope, I think she was working on something though."

"Sweet!" Natsu turned abruptly to scoff at a figure unseen, "Oi! Lug head, it's rude to ignore girls when they brought you somethin'"

A low growl could be heard along with a symphonic clatter of tools and parts and before the humongous form that was Gajeel emerged from beneath one of the vehicles.

"Shut yer trap, Salamander. I heard em." He clicked his tongue in annoyance but turned his eyes quickly on the tiny bluenette holding two glasses.

Levy stiffened, but held his gaze. "We brought you guys some Of Mira's lemonade."

Gajeel didn't say anything right away while Natsu was already making his way toward the blond, oil slick fingers outstretched. Levy could hear her friends outrage squeal as natsu smeared her with oil, but she found herself drawn in by Gajeel's gaze. She offered him the extra glass.

"You could at least say thank you, you know." Her admonishment was slightly sarcastic, the hint

Of a smile tugging at her lips.

The man rolled his eyes as he wiped a hand on his work pants and took the glass. "What are ya? My mother?"

"Someone ought to teach you some manners!" She replied without much though and chuckled as she leaned against the hood of the car and sipped on her own lemonade.

Gajeel merely sent her a sidelong glance before he groused out a rough "Thanks, Shrimp."

The little bluenette nearly sputtered lemonade everywhere.

"S-Shrimp!?"

Levy made a little noise of embarrassment in the back of her throat. It never seemed to cease to embarrass her when people pointed out her tiny stature. The older boy seemed entertained by her general displeasure, snickering with a little shrug.

"Humph, if you're just going to tease me I guess I'll just go then." Turning to head off with her blond counterpart she was bewildered to find that she had disappeared. "Lu...cy?"

"If yer talkin' about the bunny girl, she left a few minutes ago with Salamander." He tipped his dark head toward the lush woods that stretched out behind the house.

Levy's instant reaction was a slight giddiness. Lucy off with a boy, and Natsu at that! Oh, she hoped it would get juicy! Of course she needed to reign in her excitement around Gajeel so she frowned instead of squealed, "Oh. Well then..."

She rocked from foot to foot wondering if she should head back to the bar or not. Being around Gajeel still made her uncomfortable, but she didn't want to give him the cold shoulder just being no one was around. He was a bit of a black sheep and more than a little rude but he didn't deserve to be ostracized by her.

Besides, making a little conversation never hurt anyone.

"So... what are you working on?" Levy ventured cautiously as she placed her glass on an unused stool. The warm weather was already making condensation collect on the cool glass, rivulets of water raced to pool against the wood.

"Yer interested in my work?" Gajeel cocked a studded brow incredulously.

"Well, why not? You're almost always back here tinkering on something or another. I can't say I'm not curious."

Gajeel looked thoughtfully at the tiny girl before crossing his arms over his broad chest. He didn't say anything at first, he seemed to enjoy taking his time when it came to addressing people. The thought piqued Levy's interests. He came off pretty rowdy and impulsive yet when she really thought about it he was rather mysterious. There was always something curiously calculating and involved in his red gaze, as if he was absorbing all the information in the room, storing it later to put together a complicated algorithm of interactions.

After a few moments he moved further back into the garage. Levy instinctively followed, walking somewhat on her toes trying to see where he was making a bee line too. Unlike the row of cars that took up most of the space at the entrance of the shed, there was still ample space in the back behind the cars where a few motorcycles were propped up against he wall. Gajeel stopped next to one in quite an unkempt state. An assortment of mechanical parts was spread out on a table pushed against the corner.

"My current project." He said simply as he patted the worn seat of the bike.

"Wow..." Levy gasped as she approached it. "It looks complex."

"Only looks that way when you don't work on cars all day."

"How long does it take you to finish a project?"

The large man shrugged, "Depends on the project and how quick I can get parts."

Levy watched him for a moment, the sheer strength in his posture, the way his muscles seemed to ripple with every menial movement. It set something in her stomach simmering. Ripping her eyes away from Gajeel, she approached the bike, her eyes tracing every little detail. It was all complexity and chrom finish.

She brushed her fingers over the handle bars, gaze still lingering over the bike. "I'm sorry if I was pretty rude to you the last time we talked." Where had that come from? Levy had no idea.

"Squirt, and you don't need ta bring up old news like that." He mumbled gruffly. Yet she was determined to reset the playing field.

"No... I want to do this." She tilted her little face up to his, hazel eyes searching his enigmatic ruby ones. "You're not who you were a year ago, I know that. So I want to put what happened a year ago behind us and I would like to be... friends. To get to know you."

Gajeel stared at her for a long moment, so impassively that Levy thought maybe he might just burst out laughing any second. Instead of giving his trade mark snicker, he simple shifted from one foot to the other, looking away from her in a manner that might be considered bashful. When he pulled his hair back with his fingers she found herself smirking.

He was kinda cute.

"Shrimp, look. I dunno if I'm the right type of fella you should be hanging around."

"I can spend my time with whoever I want. So that's that. You're just gonna have to put up with me." She huffed playfully and crossed her arms over her chest.

The big man gaped at her, before a look of amusement crossing his surly features. "Suit yerself then, Shrimp."

.

.

.

Outside, Natsu had managed to pull Lucy quite a ways from the garage and the two were now traipsing through the woods that ran behind Fairy Tail. It was all lush greens and golds with the spring time sun filtering through the foliage. Honestly, Lucy had never really been in the woods before, never felt the grass and leaves tickling her feet where her flats didn't cover. How gorgeous and new it was to her. Everyday with her new friends was an adventure.

And yet she couldn't shake the strange flutter in her stomach as the feeling of Natsu's warm hand encircling her wrist. The sensation permeated her body, a tingling sensation she couldn't ignore that radiated from where he touched her. She barely knew him and yet she was running around with him like some wild child, acting for all the world like they were the best of buddies. And everytime he looked over to catch her eye and flash his sunshine smile she couldn't help but feel safer than she's ever had in all her life.

"Why're you looking at me like that, Luce? Are you sick?" Natsu's face was suddenly inches from her own.

The flecks of gold and green swirled in his irises, illuminated by the sun. Shades of a wild forest.

Started, the blond stumbled back and snatched her arm away with him with more force than was necessary. "Don't you know what personal space is?!" She yelped.

The boy leaned back, lacing his fingers behind his head. "Lucy, you're a weirdo."

"W-weirdo!?" She shrieked.

"And a really noisy one to boot."

Lucy finally manage to collect herself with an indignant huff. As much as she liked Natsu he was definitely a piece of work.

"Humph." She sniffed and stalked away from the pink haired boy, towards no particular direction. Truthfully she had no idea where she was or where she was going but Natsu didn't need to know that.

Following after her, the pinkette chuckled lightly. "Where ya going?"

"Wouldn't you like to know." She said nonchalantly.

"C'mon. You can't be mad." He still sounded amused, but when she gave no reply he only grinned more broadly. "How 'bout this, I'll show you something good."

"N-Natsu!" Lucy peeped when he grabbed her wrist again, pulling her in the opposite direction.

The boy was pulling her along in a hasty manner, as if some kind of fire had caught ahold of him and he couldn't stop until it cooled. "Don't worry! You'll see and you'll love it" His laugh was infectious and the blonde matched her pace with his, just as eager for whatever he was going to share with her.

Together, they ran through the forest, the crunch of grass and twigs beneath their feet as the vibrant colors blurred past them. Her legs ached as she did her best to follow after her friend, but Lucy didn't mind in the least. She simply wanted follow Natsu on this journey into another beautiful mystery.

A break in the trees opened and she was blinded momentarily. Light flooded the open space and Lucy had to squint her eyes against the brilliance. The hand that had encircled her wrist squeezed gently and she was so aware of the sensation. Following the boy half blind out into the clearing as she slowly opened her eyes. What she saw stunned her breathless.

"This is it!" Natsu explained, beaming.

Before her stretched a modestly sized lake, the water a deep crystalline blue green. Across it there was a quaint building that looked open and airy, a deck extending from it slightly into the lake for full immersion. There was a beach not far from magnolia so she had never been aware of any other bodies of water in the area. It felt like a secret oasis.

"What is this place?" She questioned in awe.

Dropping her wrist, which left Lucy feeling strangle my off balance, Natsu stepped forward closer to the edge of the lake so he could drop down into the lush grass. "This is were everyone from fairy tail comes to escape. We hold parties here once in awhile too. It's great coz not that many people know about his place since they usually just go to the beach."

Taking his lead, Lucy folded her skirt beneath her and took a seat next to the pink haired boy. "It's gorgeous. I never knew such a place existed."

"Wait until you see it jazzed up for our summer bash! That building over there," he pointed his calloused, oil stained fingers towards the rather vacant little establishment, "it'll be all decked out with lights and decorations, music so loud you could hear it from where we are now. Everybody'll be having a blast."

Natsu could practically hear the glee with her voice when she was all but bouncing with excitement. "Oh my gosh! I want to go, that sounds like so much fun!"

"Of course! We'll be getting it ready in a couple of weeks here too. I'll let you know when it's all going down."

With a happy little squeal Lucy abandoned her normal self conscientious demeanor and jumped up from her spot on the grass. Twirling around like a little girl, her fingers reached for the sun as if she could just grab it from the sky and hold it in her palms. She stopped a few feet from the edge of the lake

with her face upturned, fingers still outstretched to shield her gaze from the sun.

Natsu stared at her, mesmerized.

Eyes softening slightly at the girl in front of him, he strode to her side and stared out at the lake, the sun gleaming off the surface like glitter. For a long while the two simply stood there together, staring out at the beauty of nature. Neither had much to say in this instance. Natsu didn't really strike Lucy as someone to engage in anything peaceful and she would be lying if she said she wasn't at least mildly surprised at the sense of serenity that he seemed to exude. It was nice though, sitting near someone and sharing a moment cut out of time. It wasn't long before her eyes drifted shut and the only thing she could feel was the warmth of the lift and the warmth radiating from where Natsu stood.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" She didn't open her eyes, but just Davonte's the rich sensation that brushed against her skin. "I'm not really a part of fairy tail."

"You are though." His words were so confident, not missing a beat. "You love it already, don't you?"

The question took her off guard and she opened her chocolate brown eyes to catch his own. "Well.. Yes."

"That's all it takes really. And 'sides, I had this feeling ... this feeing that I can trust you."

"Natsu..." Lucy was overcome. Em brasses she dropped ungracefully to the soft grass and pulled her knees up, burying her face in her arms to hide her flushed face and the tears in her eyes.

Natsu laughed and she was sure he had mumbled "weirdo" under his breath.


End file.
